By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Last Saturday, Africatown Community Land Trust co-founder Wyking Garrett unveiled a $107 million investment plan for the Black community during the organization’s annual State of Africatown address. Garrett said the initiative reaffirms a long term strategy to strengthen Black homeownership, reduce displacement and build economic stability in Seattle’s Central District.
Garrett said the investment plan is designed to turn the theme of repair into measurable progress by expanding homeownership, supporting Black owned businesses and preventing displacement in the Central District. The effort reflects a coordinated approach that ties economic development, housing stability and youth violence prevention into a broader framework aimed at sustaining a thriving Black community.
Among the organization’s goals are ending homelessness, reducing youth crime and violence, strengthening Black owned businesses and expanding first time homeownership pathways. Together, those priorities form the foundation of what Garrett described as repair, an effort to address long standing barriers to economic mobility and community preservation.
“Today’s theme is how to repair, and the focus is on what needs to happen in order to maintain and develop a thriving Black community in the Central District and not continue to pushed out,” said Garrett.
The annual conference brought together community members and elected officials, including Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, King County Council Executive Girmay Zahilay and Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth. Speakers addressed economic mobility, housing access, youth violence prevention and the infrastructure needed to support long term growth as Africatown marked 10 years of work.
Hollingsworth said building an economically strong Black community remains a priority and framed income disparity as a key measure of progress.
“We had a lot of the Black community in the building who want to see economic mobility,” said Hollingsworth. “And I am dedicated to that to make sure that we can get the average household income of Black families from $55,000 to meet our white counterparts at $130,000 per year. So, my goal is to help bring economic stability and growth within our community.”
Wilson said the city is committed to supporting the Black community and the Central District, emphasizing engagement and collaboration as part of that effort.
“I’m really, really glad to be here today at the State of Africatown to listen, and to learn,” said Wilson. “Also, to share some of what the city’s committed to doing moving forward, to better anchor the Black community, the Central District and throughout Seattle.”
The conference also featured guest speakers focused on economic development, youth violence prevention and homeownership. The event included a call for repair from Garrett and concluded with a reception where community members gathered for food, music and discussion about the future of Black Seattle.
Organizers outlined budget goals intended to sustain and expand the work over time. Funding includes $11 million from the state, roughly $50 million from the city, $10 million from the county and $36 million from philanthropic sources, totaling $107 million to support business development, Black homeownership and related initiatives. The multi level funding structure reflects coordination across public and private sectors to advance the organization’s priorities.
Jacqueline Smith-Armstrong, chair of the Africatown Community Land Trust board, said the organization’s strategic direction provides a clear pathway forward and emphasized the importance of long term infrastructure investment.
“Today, I am so fulfilled with what we’ve heard today,” said Smith-Armstrong. “I’m excited about this intentional, strategic plan for Seattle’s historic Central District and as a daughter of the CD, I am going to continue to move forward to preserve the rich legacy of our community.”
Smith-Armstrong said additional fundraising is necessary to meet long term infrastructure goals.
“I would specifically like to see us obtain the $250 million necessary for the infrastructure to continue to be a thriving Black community,” said Smith-Armstrong. “So, I am looking for partnerships, donors, people that are able to help us with that money.”
